Grass is simple to grow, right? After all, it just springs up everywhere unbidden, so it can’t be that hard to keep a beautiful, green lawn.
That, of course, sounds like the opinion of someone who may have only admired grass, not tried to keep a lawn looking beautiful. While grass does grow easily, there are things you can do to take an average lawn and turn it into an object of envy for your neighbors. Be aware of common pests that damage your lawn, such as lawn grub.

Soil Testing Is Simple

The first step in growing a luscious lawn is to test your soil. You can get a kit to test your soil, and it will check for things like the pH level, nitrogen and even phosphorus level of your soil. These things can have a significant impact on how well your grass grows.
The good news is that there are things available to help you correct any problems your soil test reveals. You can add things to raise or lower the pH, nitrogen levels, or other nutrients that might be missing. If your soil isn’t perfect for your grass, you can fix it. Of course, this information will do you no good without knowing the type of grass you’re trying to grow.

What Grass Do You Need?

While some think that “grass” is an all-inclusive term, there is a wide variety of grass types, and each one has different conditions that it thrives in.

Some grasses need lots of sunlight, while others do quite well in the shade. And of course, different grasses respond well to different soil conditions; a pH that will kill one type of grass will let another breed thrive. Not every kind of grass will grow in every area, as average temperature and rainfall amounts can also play a large part in the health of your lawn.

Speaking of rainfall…

Water Enough, Not Too Much

Just like with many living things, too much water can kill or stunt the growth of your grass.

When you’re planting seed for grass, or laying grass, it will take more watering to get the grass growing; however, once your grass is established, a proper watering a few times per week is all that your lawn needs. If you water daily, the roots will stay near the surface, which means your grass will be open to the harmful effects of heat and other problems.

Water in the morning, too; this will give the excess water a chance to evaporate in the sun. If you water at night, the moisture will help the wrong things grow, in this case, diseases that can kill your grass. Consider the best type of sprinkler for your lawn.

How You Mow Is Important

If you don’t enjoy mowing your lawn, the temptation to cut your grass very short is enticing. After all, cutting it short will mean you’ll spend less time on your lawn, right?

Not really. While you’ll be mowing less frequently, cutting your grass too short will mean you’ll need to water your grass much more frequently, and you’ll be open to insects and other pests damaging your lawn.

Also, water your lawn the day before you fire up the mower; this will give you a better result and allow your grass to bounce back from the trauma of being cut more easily.

Poke Holes in Your Lawn

The process of poking holes in your lawn is called aeration, and it allows water, air, and additional nutrients to enter your soil, giving the roots of your grass everything they need to grow a healthy, green lawn.

The holes don’t need to be large; spiked shoes will do in a pinch, or you can use a special rake designed for precisely this task.

Jessica Meier

Jessica Meier

If you procrastinate long enough in a garden at least one good job will end up getting done!

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